Means for facilitating the starting of internal combustion engines for motor vehicles using a fuel injection pump



July 30, 1940. R. F. COLELL 2209,

MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE STARTING OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES USING A FUEL INJECTION PUMP Filed Aug. 10, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l Richard HZldricfi C'oZeZZ y 4 R. F. COLELL 2.209'3 1 MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE STARTING OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES USING A FUEL INJECTION PUMP Filed Aug. 10, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 iiwenfiorf Rickard ELGdfllch COZeZZ I July 30, 1940. R COLELL 2,209,321

MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE STARTING OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES USING A FUEL INJECTION PUMP Filed Aug. 10, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Rickard Ff'z'edrz'ch C'oZeZZ Patented July 30, 1940 UNITED STATES MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE STARTING OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES TION PUMP USING A FUEL INJEC- Richard Friedrich Colell, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, assignor to The Austin Motor Company, Limited, England Application August 10,

Northfield, Birmingham,

1938, Serial No. 224,221

In Great Britain August 11, 1937 4 Claims.

The invention relates to means for facilitating the starting of internal combustion engines for motor vehicles and of the type in which fuel is injected into the cylinder, or each cylinder, by a fuel pump, and in which the speed or power of the engine is not under the control of a governor but is under the control of the operator by a hand lever or foot pedal through the medium of a vacuum chamber in which there is a diaphragm or piston moving the control rod or rack of the fuel pump, the diaphragm or piston being under the control of the vacuum or depression in the air induction system of the engine, which is varied by a throttle valve controlled by the operator by the said hand lever or foot pedal. The diaphragm or piston acts in such a way that, if the vacuum increases, the fuel supply is decreased and vice versa.

It is found necessary, when the engine is run- 20 hing under full load, to provide means to prevent more than a predetermined amount of fuel being injected per cycle whatever the speed of the engine, or whatever the load may be. For this purpose it has been usual to provide a stop to 25 limit the movement of the control rod or rack in the direction to increase the fuel supply, and it has been suggested to move such stop away directly by hand or indirectly, for example through the medium of a starter switch when it is required to start the engine, the stop then being in such position that it will allow the control rod or rack to move in a direction to admit more fuel than the said predetermined amount; and it has been arranged that, on the release of the hand-operated means, the stop is automatically re-instated by the movement of the control rod or rack in a direction to cut down the fuel supply. The object of the presentinvention is to provide means for facilitating starting which are independent of any separate action of the driver.

According to the present invention, the stop, which limits the movement of the control rod or rack in a direction to increase the fuel supply, is caused to move by the agency of the drivers control lever (the accelerator pedal or hand lever) as it is moved towards its off or idling position, and so allow the diaphragm of the vacuum chamber or the controlling spring thereof to move the control rod or rack further in such direction and increase the fuel supply for starting. The engine, when stationary, is therefore always in condition to receive a charge of fuel in excess of the maximum which the stop will allow under full load conditions.

A convenient embodiment of the invention using a foot pedal for the control of the engine is described with reference to the drawings herewith in which:

Figure 1 shows (partly in elevation and partly in section) the parts in the positions they assume when the engine is running under full load. The middle portion of the fuel pump body is shown broken away.

Figure 2 shows the parts in the positions they assume when the engine is stationary;

Figure 3 shows the parts in the positions they assume when the engine is idling;

Figure 4 is a side elevation showing in somewhat diagrammatic form the general plan of the engine, manifold induction pipe, throttle valve and oil pipes;

Figure 5 is a detailed vertical section of the rack and valve mechanism controlling the fuel supply; and

Figure 6 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section somewhat similar to Fig. 2, of a modification of the invention, showing a cam device.

In these drawings, A is the fuel pump body and B the pump rack which controls the quantity of fuel delivered by the pump at each cycle of the engine. The rack B is connected to a diaphragm C of a vacuum chamber D which is in communication, by a pipe 11, with the induction pipe of the engine. Within the vacuum chamber is a coil spring E tending to press the diaphragm C, and with it the pump rack, in a direction to increase the fuel supply. Figure 1 shows the parts in the position they assume when the engine is under full load. In this case the pedal R is fully depressed and since the throttle valve, operated by this pedal, is fully open, there is practically no vacuum in the air induction system of the engine and in the vacuum chamber D so that the diaphragm C and rack D are pushed by the spring E to the left against a stop F. This position of the rack corresponds to full load conditions of the engine and the stop F thus limits the travel of the rack, preventing more than a predetermined amount of fuel being injected. The stop F consists of a set screw, screwed through the upper end of a lever G pivoted at g to a fixed point of the pump casing A. The lever G is extended down past its pivot and is provided with a nose 9 adapted to bear forwardly against a plunger H guided in a bore h of the pump casing and constantly pressed in a rearward direction (to the left as shown in the drawings) by a coil spring K which normally holds the lower end of the lever back against an abutment a of the Q to pump casing, thus maintaining the main stop F in its forward or normal position, as shown in Figure 1. The force exerted on the lever G by the spring K is greater than that of the spring E so that the latter cannot move back the stop F. Hence, during running of the vehicle, the

pump rack B is limited by the stop F in its move-j with the throttle control pedal R both mounted on the throttle shaft r. The extensiontQ may,

of course, be an integral part of the pedal ;R,

or it may be rigidly -mounted on the throttle shaft 1. S is a spring tending to press the pedal R against a stop T on a fixed part of the vehicle, and the strength of the spring S must be sufficient for it to overcome the spring K when the driver releases the pedal R.

When the engine is stationary the parts are in the positions shown in Figure 2 and the spring S is holding the pedal R against the stop T. The extension Q will therefore be holding down the link N and this will have turned the lever G in an anticlockwise direction against the force of the spring K with the result that the stop F:is moved back from its normal full load position allowing the rack B to be moved back by the action of the spring E pressing on the diaphragm 0 there being no vacuum in the chamber D. Hence, when the engine is turned for starting, the pump will deliver fuel in excess of the maximum allowable during normal running of the vehicle.

Figure 3 shows the parts in the positions they assume after the engine has been started and has reached the idling speed. At such time the throttle valve, operated by the pedal R, is almost closed, since the pedal remains in its upper position as shownin Figure 3. Therefore a high vacuum is created in the air induction system of the engine and in the vacuum chamber D so that the diaphragm C compresses the spring E and pulls the rack B to the right, thereby decreasing the fuel supply to the quantity required for idling. When the driver depresses the pedal R, to accelerate the engine; the link N is released by the movement of the pedal and the spring K pushes the lever G, and with it the stop F, back into their normal position in which the stop F limits the travel of the-rack B, as necessary for full load running and as shown in Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 4, this shows in somewhat diagrammatic form, the engine ID with manifold induction pipe II, throttle valve l2 and oil pipes l3. This view also shows a pump casing A, foot lever R, link N, stop T; and Figure shows pump rack B and pump valve.

In lieu of the extension Q and the link N, a cam device, arranged between the pedal and the lever G, may be employed to rock the lever, a shown in Fig. 6. 1

- Referring to Figure'6, the arrangement is similar to that shown in Figure 2; but, in lieu of the extension Q, the foot lever R has rigidly connected with it a cam l4 with which engages a roller l5 mounted on the end of one arm [6 of a bell crank lever,the other arm ll of which is pivotally connected to the link N. It will be seen on reference to Figure 6 that the roller l5 has ridden up on the cam I4 and consequently has moved back the stop F. This condition occurs only when the throttle pedal is right back at the position it occupies when the engine is idling or has stopped altogether. When the engine has stopped altogether the rack B comes to its extreme position,

asshown in Figure 2; but, when the engine is idling, it is, of course, back at the position shown in Figure 3.

Having fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Means for controlling an internal combuse tion engine of the fuel injection type comprising a throttle lever to control a throttle valve, a vacuum chamber in connection with the engine suction manifold, a piston in said vacuum chamber, a fuel injection pump, a control rod controlling the quantity of fuel supplied at each stroke of the pump and connected to said piston in such a manner that as the vacuum decreases the control rod is moved in a direction to increase the fuel supply, a stop to limit the movement of said rod in said direction, and said stop connected with said throttle lever, whereby said throttle lever, when moved towards its off or idling position, moves said stop in a manner to allow further movement of saidcontrol rod in a direction to permit of further increase of fuel supply to facilitate starting.

2. Means for controlling an internal combustion engine of the fuel injection type comprising a throttle lever to control a throttle valve, a vacuum chamber in connection with the engine suction manifold, a piston in said vacuum chamber, a fuel injection pump, a control rod controlling the quantity of fuel supplied at each stroke of the pump and connected to said piston in such a manner that as the vacuum decreases the control rod is moved in a direction to increase the fuel supply, a stop to limit the movement of Said rod in said direction and said stop connected with said throttle lever whereby said throttle lever, during the last part of its movement towards the idling position, causes said stop to be moved back to permit of the admission of excess fuel for starting, and whereby the opposite movement of said throttle lever away from the idling position restores the stop to its original position.

3. Means for controlling an internal combustion engine of the fuel injection type comprising a throttle lever to control a throttle valve, a vacuum chamber in connection with the engine suction manifold, a piston in said Vacuum chamber, a fuel injection pump, a control rod controlling the quantity of fuel supplied at each stroke of the pump and connected to said piston in such a manner that as the vacuum decreases the control rod is moved in a direction to increase the fuel supply, a stop to limit the movement of said rod in said direction, an extension beyond the pivot of said throttle lever, a link, a pin and slot connection between said extension and said link, an arm of a lever carrying said stop and another arm of said lever pivotally connected to said link, whereby said throttle lever, during the last part of its movement towards the idling position, causes the stop to be moved back to permit of the. admission of excess fuel ,for starting and whereby the opposite movement of said throttle lever away from the idling position restores the stop to its original position.

4. Means for controlling an internal combustion engine of the fuel injection type comprising a throttle lever to control a throttle valve, a vacuum chamber in connection with the engine suction manifold, a piston in said vacuum chamher, a fuel injection pump, a control rod controlling the quantity of fuel supplied at each stroke of the pump and connected to said piston in such a manner that as the vacuum decreases the control rod is moved in a direction to increase the fuel supply, a stop to limit the movement of said rod in said direction and said stop connected with said throttle lever, whereby said throttle lever, during the last part of its movement towards the idling position, causes said stop to be moved back to permit of the admission of excess fuel for starting, and whereby the opposite movement of said throttle lever away front the idling position restores the stop to its original position, a spring to hold said stop in its normal position and being of a strength sufficient to resist movement of the stop by pressure from the control rod in a direction to increase the fuel supply, and said stop moved back against the force of said spring as the throttle lever returns to its idling position by the agency'of a force sufiicient to overcome said spring pressure.

RICI-IARD FRIEDRICH C'OLELL. 

